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Re-Establishing Imaging’s Value

Imaging is a key player in the changing world of healthcare. The current emphasis on linking reimbursements to quality metrics and patient outcomes puts more pressure on facilities to get things right the first time. In addition, patients are becoming their own health advocates with more than 50% of patients with online access to their reports actually reading them. Through 2016, we expect to see a continued growth in medical imaging data, particularly as the medicare population grows, physician employment and hospital consolidation trends upwards, and telemedicine gains more and more popularity. During our recent thought leadership webinar, Solomon Banjo, Senior Analyst at the Advisory Board Company, discussed how the cloud can be a key differentiator in a facility’s quest for improved patient care and access.

In healthcare, customer focus has now become a mandate with retail clinics offering medical access and employers now providing coverage for e-visits and other telemedicine use cases. A 2015 Imaging Patient Preferences Survey by the Advisory Board indicates that when it comes to imaging, patients cite same day results as being very high on their wishlist. Standardized imaging reports are one such method of speeding up delivery; the streamlined dictation process improves turnaround time. Along with report standardization, taking imaging to the cloud can cut costs, improve access, and reduce redundant imaging exams.

Solomon noted that at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama, CDs were often unreadable. Since moving to a cloud VNA, there are fewer repeat exams and delays in patient care. Overall, there has been a 60% decrease in the number of CDs received. Using the cloud to image enabling EMRs and patient portals can even take improvements in patient care a step further.

At Henry Ford health system, physicians sought to improve the delivery of mammography exams. First, the facility worked to create a cloud-based workflow that allowed imaging to be accessible to the radiologist and other physicians much more rapidly. Patients can now receive their results within hours through a phone call system or patient portal (depending on their preference). The hospital’s marketing team has also worked to notify patients of the new and improved system and encourage their use of it.

The first step to creating a patient friendly network is to improve processes within the facility. Does your facility have easy access to imaging and seamless workflows? Or are you dealing with imaging trapped in heavily siloed systems? Download our ebook to find out more.

Catherine Slotnick is a passionate healthcare marketer with a deep interest in the latest & greatest in the Health IT space. As Ambra Health's senior marketing manager, Catherine primarily focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership content in the radiology and informatics space. Catherine graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Psychology & Art History. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and petting dogs that aren't hers.